the life of horatio lord nelson-第49章

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　be　boarded　from　the　lower　or　middle　decks　because　her　ports　were　down。　Some　of　our　men　went　to　Lieutenant　Quilliam；　and　offered　to　swim　under　her　bows；　and　get　up　there；　but　it　was　thought　unfit　to　hazard　brave　lives　in　this　manner。

What　our　men　would　have　done　from　gallantry；　some　of　the　crew　of　the　SANTISSIMA　TRINIDAD　did　to　save　themselves。　Unable　to　stand　the　tremendous　fire　of　the　VICTORY；　whose　larboard　guns　played　against　this　great　four…decker；　and　not　knowing　how　else　to　escape　them；　nor　where　else　to　betake　themselves　for　protection；　many　of　them　leaped　overboard　and　swam　to　the　VICTORY；　and　were　actually　helped　up　her　sides　by　the　English　during　the　action。　The　Spaniards　began　the　battle　with　less　vivacity　than　their　unworthy　allies；　but　they　continued　it　with　greater　firmness。　The　ARGONAUTA　and　BAHAMA　were　defended　till　they　had　each　lost　about　four　hundred　men；　the　SAN　JUAN　NEPOMUCENO　lost　three　hundred　and　fifty。　Often　as　the　superiority　of　British　courage　has　been　proved　against　France　upon　the　seas；　it　was　never　more　conspicuous　than　in　this　decisive　conflict。　Five　of　our　ships　were　engaged　muzzle　to　muzzle　with　five　of　the　French。　In　all　five　the　Frenchmen　lowered　their　lower…deck　ports；　and　deserted　their　guns；　while　our　men　continued　deliberately　to　load　and　fire　till　they　had　made　the　victory　secure。

Once；　amidst　his　sufferings；　Nelson　had　expressed　a　wish　that　he　were　dead；　but　immediately　the　spirit　subdued　the　pains　of　death；　and　he　wished　to　live　a　little　longer；　doubtless　that　he　might　hear　the　completion　of　the　victory　which　he　had　seen　so　gloriously　begun。　That　consolation；　that　joy；　that　triumph；　was　afforded　him。　He　lived　to　know　that　the　victory　was　decisive；　and　the　last　guns　which　were　fired　at　the　flying　enemy　were　heard　a　minute　or　two　before　he　expired。　The　ships　which　were　thus　flying　were　four　of　the　enemy's　van；　all　French；　under　Rear…Admiral　Dumanoir。　They　had　borne　no　part　in　the　action；　and　now；　when　they　were　seeking　safety　in　flight；　they　fired　not　only　into　the　VICTORY　and　ROYAL　SOVEREIGN　as　they　passed；　but　poured　their　broadsides　into　the　Spanish　captured　ships；　and　they　were　seen　to　back　their　topsails　for　the　purpose　of　firing　with　more　precision。　The　indignation　of　the　Spaniards　at　this　detestable　cruelty　from　their　allies；　for　whom　they　had　fought　so　bravely；　and　so　profusely　bled；　may　well　be　conceived。　It　was　such　that　when；　two　days　after　the　action；　seven　of　the　ships　which　had　escaped　into　Cadiz　came　out　in　hopes　of　re…taking　some　of　the　disabled　prizes；　the　prisoners　in　the　ARGONAUTA；　in　a　body；　offered　their　services　to　the　British　prize…master；　to　man　the　guns　against　any　of　the　French　ships；　saying；　that　if　a　Spanish　ship　came　alongside；　they　would　quietly　go　below；　but　they　requested　that　they　might　be　allowed　to　fight　the　French　in　resentment　for　the　murderous　usage　which　they　had　suffered　at　their　hands。　Such　was　their　earnestness；　and　such　the　implicit　confidence　which　could　be　placed　in　Spanish　honour；　that　the　offer　was　accepted　and　they　were　actually　stationed　at　the　lower…deck　guns。　Dumanoir　and　his　squadron　were　not　more　fortunate　than　the　fleet　from　whose　destruction　they　fled。　They　fell　in　with　Sir　Richard　Strachan；　who　was　cruising　for　the　Rochefort　squadron；　and　were　all　taken。　In　the　better　days　of　France；　if　such　a　crime　could　then　have　been　committed；　it　would　have　received　an　exemplary　punishment　from　the　French　government。　Under　Buonaparte　it　was　sure　of　impunity；　and　perhaps　might　be　thought　deserving　of　reward。　But　if　the　Spanish　court　had　been　independent；　it　would　have　become　us　to　have　delivered　Dumanoir　and　his　captains　up　to　Spain；　that　they　might　have　been　brought　to　trial；　and　hanged　in　sight　of　the　remains　of　the　Spanish　fleet。

The　total　British　loss　in　the　battle　of　Trafalgar　amounted　to　1587。　Twenty　of　the　enemy　struck；　but　it　was　not　possible　to　anchor　the　fleet；　as　Nelson　had　enjoined。　A　gale　came　on　from　the　S。W。；　some　of　the　prizes　went　down；　some　went　on　shore；　one　effected　its　escape　into　Cadiz；　others　were　destroyed；　four　only　were　saved；　and　those　by　the　greatest　exertions。　The　wounded　Spaniards　were　sent　ashore；　an　assurance　being　given　that　they　should　not　serve　till　regularly　exchanged；　and　the　Spaniards；　with　a　generous　feeling；　which　would　not　perhaps　have　been　found　in　any　other　people；　offered　the　use　of　their　hospitals　for　our　wounded；　pledging　the　honour　of　Spain　that　they　should　be　carefully　attended　there。　When　the　storm；　after　the　action；　drove　some　of　the　prizes　upon　the　coast；　they　declared　that　the　English　who　were　thus　thrown　into　their　hands　should　not　be　considered　as　prisoners　of　war；　and　the　Spanish　soldiers　gave　up　their　own　beds　to　their　shipwrecked　enemies。　The　Spanish　vice…admiral；　Alva；　died　of　his　wounds。　Villeneuve　was　sent　to　England；　and　permitted　to　return　to　France。　The　French　Government　say　that　he　destroyed　himself　on　the　way　to　Paris；　dreading　the　consequences　of　a　court…martial；　but　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　the　tyrant；　who　never　acknowledged　the　loss　of　the　battle　of　Trafalgar；　added　Villeneuve　to　the　numerous　victims　of　his　murderous　policy。

It　is　almost　superfluous　to　add；　that　all　the　honours　which　a　grateful　country　could　bestow　were　heaped　upon　the　memory　of　Nelson。　His　brother　was　made　an　earl；　with　a　grant　of　L6000　a　year。　L10；000　were　voted　to　each　of　his　sisters；　and　L100；000　for　the　purchase　of　an　estate。　A　public　funeral　was　decreed；　and　a　public　monument。　Statues　and　monuments　also　were　voted　by　most　of　our　principal　cities。　The　leaden　coffin　in　which　he　was　brought　home　was　cut　in　pieces；　which　were　distributed　as　relics　of　Saint　Nelson；so　the　gunner　of　the　VICTORY　called　them；　and　when；　at　his　internment；　his　flag　was　about　to　be　lowered　into　the　grave；　the　sailors　who　assisted　at　the　ceremony　with　one　accord　rent　it　in　pieces；　that　each　might　preserve　a　fragment　while　he　lived。

The　death　of　Nelson　was　felt　in　England　as　something　more　than　a　public　calamity；　men　started　at　the　intelligence；　and　turned　pale；　as　if　they　had　heard　of　the　loss　of　a　dear　friend。　An　object　of　our　admiration　and　affection；　of　our　pride　and　of　our　hopes；　was　suddenly　taken　from　us；　and　it　seemed　as　if　we　had　never；　till　then；　known　how　deeply　we　loved　and　reverenced　him。　What　the　country　had　lost　in　its　great　naval　herothe　greatest　of　our　own；　and　of　all　former　timeswas　scarcely　taken　into　the　account　of　grief。　So　perfectly；　indeed；　had　he　performed　his　part；　that　the　maritime　war；　after　the　battle　of　Trafalgar；　was　considered　at　an　end：　the　fleets　of　the　enemy　were　not　merely　defeated　but　destroyed；　new　navies　must　be　built；　and　a　new　race　of　seamen　reared　for　them；　before　the　possibility　of　their　invading　our　shores　could　again　be　contemplated。　It　was　not；　therefore；　from　any　selfish　reflection　upon　the　magnitude　of　our　loss　that　we　mourned　for　him：　the　general　sorrow　was　of　a　higher　character。　The　people　of　England　grieved　that　funeral　ceremonies；　and　public　monuments；　and　posthumous　rewards；　were　all　which　they　could　now　bestow　upon　him；　whom　the　king；　the　legislature；　and　the　nation　would　have　alike　delighted　to　honour；　whom　every　tongue　would　have　blessed；　whose　presence　in　every　village　through　which　he　might　have　passed　would　have　wakened　the　church　bells；　have　given　schoolboys　a　holiday；　have　drawn　children　from　their　sports　to　gaze　upon　him；　and　〃old　men　from　the　chimney　corner〃　to　look　upon　Nelson　ere　they　died。　The　victory　of　Trafalgar　was　celebrated；　indeed；　with　the　usual　forms　of　rejoicing；　but　they　were　without　joy；　for　such　already　was　the　glory　of　the　British　navy；　through　Nelson's　surpassing　genius；　that　it　scarcely　seemed　to　receive　any　addition　from　the　most　signal　victory　that　ever　was　achieved　upon　the　seas：　and　the　destruction　of　this　mighty　fleet；　by　which　all　the　maritime　schemes　of　France　were　totally　frustrated；　hardly　appeared　to　add　to　our　security　or　strength；　for；　while　Nelson　was　living；　to　watch　the　combined　squadrons　of　the　enemy；　we　felt　ourselves　as　secure　as　now；　when　they　were　no　longer　in　existence。

There　was　reason　to　suppose；　from　the　appearances　upon　opening　the　body；　that　in　the　course　of　nature　he　might　have　attained；　like　his　father；　to　a　good　old　age。　Yet　he　cannot　be　said　to　have　fallen　prematurely　whose　work　was　done；　nor　ought　he　to　be　lamented　who　died　so　full　of　honours；　at　the　height　of　human　fame。　The　most　triumphant　death　is　that　of　the　martyr；　the　most　awful　that　of　the　martyred　patriot；　the　most　splendid　that　of　the　hero　in　the　hour　of　victory：　and　if　the　chariot　and　horses　of　fire　had　been　vouchsafed　for　Nelson's　translation；　he　could　scarcely　have　departed　in　a　brighter　blaze　of　glory。　He　has　left　us；　not　indeed　his　mantle　of　inspiration；　but　a　name　and　an　example　which　are　at　this　hour　inspiring　thousands　of　the　youth　of　England：　a　name　which　is　our　pride；　and　an　example　which　will　continue　to　be　our　shield　and　our　strength。　Thus　it　is　that　the　spirits　of　the　great　and　the　wise　continue　to　live　and　to　act　after　them；　verifying；　in　this　sense；　the　language　of　the　old　mythologist：





＇The　book　ends　with　two　lines　of　ancient　Greek　by　the　poet　Hesiod。　Their　meaning　is　approximately　that　of　the　final　lines　above。＇





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